The Flesh and the Spirit

When Paul says: “I say then”, he is drawing a conclusion from what he previously said in verse 15. In that verse he warned the believers in the churches of Galatian against their biting and devouring one another when they disagreed with each other over the doctrinal issues related to the law. He was saying that to bite and devour one another was to be in the flesh in their using harsh, bitter, and angry words with each other. What could they do to prevent these kinds of God-dishonoring verbal exchanges from taking place? 3 things are found here which they would need to learn and do in relation to living the Christian life. We will need to learn them as well. Paul tells them, and he tells us also 1st – that we should walk in the Spirit, and then we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And 2nd – We should learn to understand what is going on inside our own hearts; that a spiritual battle exists there.